Birmingham, Alabama—The Birmingham Public Library’s (BPL) popular “Bards & Brews” poetry performance and beer tasting series is scheduled for Friday, April 13. Usually held the first Friday of each month, the April edition of “Bards & Brews” will be held on the second Friday since BPL will be closed for Good Friday on April 6. The April 13 event will return to the SLAM FORMAT and will be held at the Central Library located at 2100 Park Place.

The slams are emceed by poetry slam events director Brian “Voice Porter” Hawkins. Hawkins has hosted "On Stage at the Carver" at the Carver Theater, the longest running poetry open mic in Birmingham (7 years running). He has hosted numerous additional events of this nature and has also performed his own works many times across the country.

Each contestant contributes $5 to the pot, and winner takes all. Southern Fried Slam rules will be observed. Craft beer will be available for sampling, along with light refreshments. You must be 18 years or older to be admitted, and 21 years or older to be served. IDs will be checked. Live music at 6:30 p.m. Call time is 7:00 p.m. Check out the “Bards & Brews” page on Facebook for more information. This program is made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The mission of Birmingham Public Library is to provide the highest quality library service to our citizens for life-long learning, cultural enrichment and enjoyment. This system—with 18 locations and serving the community for 125 years—is one of the largest library systems in the southeast. For additional information, visit the website at www.bplonline.org or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bpl.